Automatic feed device



July 24, 1928.

J. w. NASMITH AQTOMATIC FEED DEVCE Filed OCT.. 10, 1924 4 SheetsfSfxeet July 24, 1928. 1,678,159

J. W. NASMITH AUTOMATIC FEED DEVICE Filed oct.1o, 1924 4 sheets-sheet 2 1I] I In g r III G] .Il I --I|l I #L TI I s I I I I I I Il I I" Il I Q" I` ou I W y Q I E Y 10 II N f II 03 n "f'l #o Q x N l I 'sa er Rl gg r I .l i l |1| HNI?) Y ao July 24, 1928.

1,678,159 J. W. NASMITH,

AUToMATIc FEED DEVICE `Filed oct.1o, 1924 4 sheets-sheet 5 .f 2f Y 55 T ze` Inven or:-

July 24, 192s.

1,678,159 J. W. NASMITH AUTOMATIC FEED DEVICE Filed Oct. 10, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet,- 4

titi

Patented July 24, 1928;

U S T A TES'` PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN WILLIAM NASMITI-I, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T `NASIYII'IIIHS PATENTS LIMITED, O'Fl MANCHESTER, ENGrl'JAlTD.`

AUTOMATIC FEED DEVICE.

pile rising when the said pile has dimm-- ished. A further object is to so arrange the mechanism for raising thesheet pile at the table on which itis borne so that it may bemounted in a truck which is movable 'to and from the feeding apparatus, without detriment to the efficiency of the latter.

In carrying the invention into `effect I provide a feeding device having gripper rollers as usual` into the nip of which a sheet may be fed, and I also provide a` vertically movable table on which the pile of sheets rests. Mechanism is provided for raising the table.` Feeding devices are provided to feed the top sheet of the pile to the gripper rollers,and these feeding devices operatea clutch to put into motion or cause the cessation-of rotation of a shaft which raises the table through transmission gearing. `The feeding devices are normally in Contact with the top sheet of the pile at each stroke, and as they will,- fall asthe pile diminishesy and take a. higher plane with the pile as the table rises, their reciprocatory motion effects the clutching; or declutching of the mechanism according to their position; Diminu tion of the pile is thereforey automatically followed by raising` the table, and when the said'pilehas been raised .to the desired height again the raising mechanism is putoutvof gear until a further diminution takes place. Although as willy be obvious any known methods of raising1 the table whichbears the pile of sheets may be employed, such as for instance a. screw jack or hydraulic jack or analogous means, a simple and efficient table raising means is `specifically described hereinafter, which means will'not be liable to be knocked out oforder. l

Convenient' means forl carrying theinvention into effect kwill now be described with reference to the accompanyingril drawings,

Application-filed. October 10, 1924, Serial No. 742,852; and in Great Britain October 27, 1923.

which shows a side elevation, whereinFigure l is aside elevation; Figure'Q a plan; andFigure 3 an end elevation lookingI from the left of Figure l; Figures 4 and 51are` respectively elevation and section of the clutch mechanism shown in the preceding; figures; andFigures 6', 7 and-8 are details-to an enlarged scale of accessories through which the feeding devices operate the clutchingr and declutching of the table raising mechanism.l f

Referring to the drawings F is a frame constructed to carry certain operative parts andis fixed in front of the machine to which the'sheets of material have to befed. In the case of new machines this frame'may be incorporated in the framework of the machine propen In bearings in the lowerv part ,of the frame F', a shaft S is slowly andinterinittently revolved by means that described later. Y

A truck K is constructed with uprizeghtsr U mounted at the four corners and suitably stayed, two of them being, shownv in the drawing, `seeA Figure l, and mounted on wheels W. Fitted into the four uprights and at liberty to `rise and fallvertically is a table T. It may behere observed that when desirable the saidtable may be incorporated in the machine itself', instead offorining part of a truck.V A pairof rollers R, R, are mounted on the framework to receive the sheets as fed and pass them on to the machine which is toV opera-te on them.'

Cast or fixed.Y on each side of.` theitnuck K aresnugs l, 2, 3andfiXedtherein at each' side are parallel shafts 4 on which blocks are at liberty to slide. Similarly fixed or attached to the underside of the table' T are snug's 6,07, and5 8;- a'nd a pair of'parallel shafts 9 on which slide blocks 10. Diagonal rods 1l' and' 12 (two at each side) are conL nected by aA spring llaand pivotedi tothe snugs if andi 6 respectively andthe'ir oppo-y site endsare pivoted on the blocks 10 and5 respectively. A pin Loi-connects the members ofeach pair of diagonals; Pivoted on pinsinf the blocks 5 are rods lll (onel on eachfside) whose outer ends are formedas racks to gearV with pinions 15' keyedy on' the shaft S'. yThe racks are keptin gear with the pinions l5 by cams 16 keyed on the shafts 17' carried in bearings formed in prolongationsof the'frame ofthe truckl.; Levers i8 are also keyed, on the shafts 17 will be and have connected to them kdrawbars 19 with a notch to engage with the pin 20.- By releasing these the racks are dropped out of gear so that the truck K can be removed. it is obvious that when the pinion is revolved in the direction of the arrow the blocks 5 and 10 will be drawn kforward on their rods 4 and 9 and the table T raised, whilst at the same time the truck K is drawn firmly against the frame F.

The shaft S receives its motion from an intermittently driven shaft 21 on which is mounted a worm 22 gearing with a worm wheel keyed on the shaft 24 whereon 1s also keyed a worm 25 gearing with a. worm wheel keyed on the shaft S. The manner in which the motion of this shaft is controlled by the height of the top sheet will be presentlv described.

'l Then the machine running the shaft 27 is continuously revolving, and keyedy thereon (one at each end) are cams28. These act on bowls 29 pivoted on pins .in the end of levers 30 which are free to oscillate on studs 31 secured on the framing. Attached to thelevers 30 at 32 are rods 33 free to slide vertically in grooves formed in the framing. Their upper ends are screwed to permit regulation of the gripping rail 34 which is mounted thereon. As the cam 23 revolves the rail falls at the appropriate moment into the top sheet of the pile and holds it.

The'clutcl'l employed, is of any convenient type. For instance the disc 35. notched internally as shown in dotted lines,frevolves continuously andv freely onthe shaft 21. Keyed thereon is the usual block in which. the pawl 36 is hinged. It is kept out of gear by the pin 37. As soon as this is with-` drawn the pawl under the influence of the spring 37a (shown dotted) enga-ges with one of the notches in and motion is communicated to the shaft 21 and the lever shaft S. The mechanism to put the pin 37 alternately in and out of action according to the height of the top sheet of the pile by means of the feeding devices is as follows. At each end of the shaft 27 is keyed a disc in which is fixed a crank pin 38 linked as shown to the lower end of lever 39, pivoted (one at each side) on the framing at 40@ Hinged to the upper end of each of the levers 39 are rods 41 and as the crank revolves a to and fro motion is imparted to the rods 41 which are approximately hori- Zontal. Transverse to the machine and mounted in bearings formed at the right hand end of the rods 41 is a shaft 41a, upon which is mounted any suitable feeding device of known kind. For instance the usual rubber covered discs may be used, adjustable longitudinally along the shaft 41a. As the rods -41 move from, left to right'the shaft 41a is allowed to revolve but is prevented from doing so by the-usual ratchet when V the sheet assuming a looped or curved form as the gripping rail 34 is down on the other or forward end of the sheet. But as soon as the rail 34 is raised the sheet by its own resiliency straightens and shooting forward is sie'zed by thev gripper rolls R, and carried forward thereby.

Sliding on a pawl 58 in afkbearing 42 formed ronA the framing F is a rod 43 one end of which is hinged to a bell-crank lever 44 pivoted atf45. The other arm of the bellcrank 44 is provided with a slot 46 to receive the pin 47 which vis secured to the clutch pin 37. Fixed on the rod 43 are collars 48 and 49 and a block 50 free to slide slightly thereon. A link 51 connects the block 5() to the lower end of lever 52 pivoted on the framing at 53. On the'lever 52fare also hinged two adjustable catches 54 and 55 bctween which passes the rod 41 on whichis secured an adjustable block 56. These members 54 and 55 are so hingedthat they will not give way before the block 5G as t-he .latter moves Vto the left of the ligure, but

will move freely on their hinges or pivots in the other direction, and they may be made adjustable upon theV lever 52 by any known means.

As shaft 4lfdescends as the paper pile diminishes, the reciprocatory movement of the arms 41 causes the block 5G borne by one of them to come into contact during the backwardmovement with catch 55 on arm 52,`thus1 through 51 and 43and the bell cranklever bearing the pin withdrawing Athe latter and putting in the clutch. Through the connected mechanism shafts 21 are thus rotated, worm wheels 26 and pinions 15 rotatingin the direct-ion of the arrow Figure 1 and drawing the racks 14 to the left of Figure 1, the table T thus being raised. The rod 43 thusagain rising with the pile, its next backward reciprocation brings collar 56 intocontact with catch 54,I

thus restoring the arm 52 to its former position and through the connecting members withdrawing the pin 37 of the clutch, rotation of shaft 21 being thus stopped automatically.

Removal of the truck when empty, and reengagement thereof with thepinions 15 through racks 14 are effected by means of the drawbars 19 aspreviously explained. The truck when it bears the table T and the raising mechanism becomes a partof the feeding mechanism, but it willY he understood that should circumstancesmake it desirable in any case the members U may be a fixture kand act as the frame for the table, the pile -of ysheets being placed` on the said table, and replenishedas required. The employment of the truck is however a conspicuous advantage, as it saves transference of the pil-e of sheets from a conveyance on to the table.

I claim l. An automatic feed device for feeding sheets singly from a sheet pile, comprising gripper rollers, a vertically movable table on which the sheet pile rests, feeding devices to feed the top sheet of the pile to the gripper rollers, a truck on which the table. is borne, means carried by the truck for raising the table bearing the sheet pile, a shaft pnt in rotation or stopped by clutch means operated by the movement of the feeding devices, and transmission gearing between said shaft and the table raising mechanism, part of such gearing being borne by the truck and separable from the other and stationary transmission elements.

2. In apparatus as claimed in clainil, feeding devices for the top sheet of a sheet pile, comprising hinged longitudinally movable feed rods engaging such sheet and reciprocated from a driving shaft their free ends normallyresting upon the sheet pile, a vertically movable gripper rail to come down upon the forward end of the sheet pile, and a cam to raise the said gripper rail and allow it to drop upon the sheet pile by gravity, its length of downward traverse increasing as the sheet pile diminishes, and a clutch put into operation at a predetermined point in such downward traverse and out of operation by the rising feed rods, for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. In apparatus as claimed in claim l, a shaft actuating the transmission gearing to raise the table and for declutching same, and means for clutching and declutching the said shaft by the movement of the feeding devices such means comprising a longitudinally movable rod one end of which actuates the clutch, the other end having pivoted thereto the end offa short oscillatory lever arm pivoted to the apparatus framing and bearing catches which come into the reciprocatory path of the feeding devices as the latter rise and fall with the sheet pile, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

4. In apparatus as claimed in claim l, means for raising the table bearing the sheet pile, such means comprising in duplicate a diagonal rod the upper end of which slides y on a bearing on the table, the lower end being pivoted to the framing, a further diagonal rod pivoted centrally to the first rod, the upper end of such further rod being pivoted to the table and its lower end being slidable, a rack connected to such slidable lower end, and transmission gearing between the clutch operable shaft and the rack to move the latter to vary the angles made with each other by the diagonal rods to raise the table borne thereby. Y

In apparatus having a movable table borne upon a truck as claimed in claim 1, racks directly connected to and operating the table raising means carried by the truck, such racks meshing with the transmission gearing from the clutchable shaft, a trans verse shaft having cam surfaces thereon to make contact with the lower faces of the racks to keep them yin mesh with Vthe said transmission gearing, and an adjustable 'lever to give angular motion to such shaft.

6. In apparatus as claimed in claim l, transmission gearing between the rotatable shaft and the table raising means proper, such transmission gearing consisting of a worm on the said rotatable shaft meshing with a worm wheel on a second motion shaft, a further worm drum on such second motion shaft meshing with a worm wheel on a further shaft, and a toothed wheel coinpounded with the latter worm wheel such toothed wheel meshing with a toothed member of the table raising mechanism to operate the same.

In testimony whereof I havev hereunto set 1- 

